Why Does God Need Our Worship?
Modern scepticism often crystallises into one piercing question: If God is all-powerful and self-sufficient, why does He demand our worship? This question is often posed not as a theological inquiry but as a sceptical accusation, implying that divine worship is a form of servile submission to an egoistic deity.
As a recurring theme in my columns, where I have explored faith, doubt, and the human condition, this question deserves a thoughtful revisit. Let us address this anthropocentric assumption and uncover why worship is not a divine need, but a human necessity.
The Flawed Premise
The atheistic critique paints God as a celestial tyrant—an insecure ruler demanding flattery to satisfy His Ego. This image of God commits the grave error of anthropomorphism, projecting human limitations such as insecurity, need for validation, and dependency on subjects onto the Divine. A rigorous reflection, however, reveals that this perception is intellectually flawed, theologically weak, and existentially misplaced.
God, the Self-Sufficient
In monotheistic traditions, God is described as al-Ghanī (The Self-Sufficient), al-Qayyūm (The Sustainer), and al-Ṣamad (The One Who needs none and is needed by all). These are not poetic attributes; they are ontological affirmations. They signify that God’s perfection is intrinsic. He gains nothing by our worship, and loses nothing by our denial.
Worship is not about reinforcing God’s greatness; His greatness is an eternal reality; nor is it a divine demand born out of need; it is a human response to the TRUTH.
Therefore, worship is our need, woven into our very nature. It is how we heal, how we hope, and how we become whole. It is not an act of trembling before a supreme being, but the symphony of the soul fulfilling its deepest purpose. In that moment of spiritual surrender, we do not lose ourselves; we finally find ourselves.
Worship as Human Fulfillment
Let’s read an āyah (verse) from the Qur’ān. It clearly states: If you disbelieve, verily God is free of need from you (39:7).
Hence the fundamental purpose of (‘ibādah) is the alignment of human nature with divine truth. It is not mere ritual or performance, but a holistic posture of the intellect, heart, and will toward the Source of all existence. It is the expression of gratitude, humility, purpose, and moral direction.
Intellect Anchored in Meaning
Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him), a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him), defines worship as maʿrifatullāh — the knowing of God. Unlike science, which explains the how, worship explores the why of existence. In an age of information and utility, it answers the deeper questions:
Why are we here?
To what end is our striving?
What lies beyond death?
Without worship, we risk intellectual drift, floating in a cosmos without meaning. It anchors the mind in a metaphysical reality that gives coherence to life itself.
In a world clouded by distractions, anxieties, and conflicting ideologies, worship serves as our most authentic return to what is real. When we bow in prayer, we are not submitting to a cosmic overlord demanding our servitude—we are recalibrating our existence toward the Source of all being. In that single act of prostration, we embody the harmony of creation itself: the mind recognizing its Origin, the heart pouring out its deepest yearning, and the will choosing alignment with a higher, nobler purpose.
Liberation from Modern Idolatry
Ironically, in abandoning God, modern societies do not become less religious; they simply replace the True God with false gods — the self, the state, wealth, race, fame, or ideology. These false gods demand more and give less.
The Qur’ān describes kufr (disbelief) as a “covering up” of the truth of our dependence on the Divine. To worship God is to dismantle all other allegiances and to recognise that no created being is worthy of our ultimate loyalty. When, for instance, a Muslim says Allāhu Akbar (God is Great), it is a spiritual declaration of independence from all forms of false deities.
Psychological and Emotional Flourishing
Human beings are not merely rational; they are also emotional and moral creatures. Worship cultivates the core spiritual virtues such as humility (ʿijz), gratitude (shukr), the appreciation of the blessings of life as divine gifts, peace (sukūn), the serenity born from knowing one’s place in the cosmos, and the recognition of our limits before the Infinite,
Psychologists increasingly affirm that spirituality contributes to resilience. In times of crisis, even the most secular minds whisper prayers. Why? Because beneath doubt lies longing for hope, transcendence, and connection.
Humanity’s Need for the Sacred
Anthropology affirms that worship is a human universal. Across history and civilizations, people have instinctively sought the Sacred through prayer, sacrifice, pilgrimage, and meditation. Denying this impulse does not erase it; it simply transfers worship elsewhere: toward celebrities, technology, nationalism, or ideologies.
The 20th-century theologian Paul Tillich rightly observes: Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned. Worship, in its purest sense, channels that concern toward the One truly Ultimate.
Worship as a Moral Anchor and Social Bond
Worship is not merely a private act of devotion; it has profound social and ethical implications. In a world where values often shift with public opinion or political convenience, worship serves as a stabilizing force. It grounds morality in transcendent principles, not in fleeting cultural trends or subjective emotions. Through consistent worship, individuals internalize values like justice, compassion, honesty, and accountability, not because society demands them, but because they reflect eternal truths rooted in the Divine.
Moreover, worship binds communities together through shared rituals, collective prayer, and common reverence. It creates a moral fabric where people are not united merely by interests or contracts, but by a sense of sacred purpose and mutual responsibility. In this way, worship gives society a soul.
Worship as an Existential Lifeline
Material comfort alone cannot satisfy the deeper longings of the human soul. People may survive with bread, but they do not truly live without meaning. In times of grief, loss, or personal crisis, it is not wealth or entertainment that consoles the human heart; it is purpose, connection, and hope. Worship fortifies individuals against despair by reminding them of a larger reality beyond their immediate suffering. It offers a framework through which pain is not meaningless, but part of a divine wisdom. In this way, worship becomes an existential necessity, sustaining not just life, but the will to live it with integrity and hope.
One more important aspect of worship is that it not an escape from life. It is the essence of life lived consciously. It unites thought, feeling, and action in a coherent act of surrender, which paradoxically becomes the most liberating human gesture. Far from being a sign of subjugation, it is the liberation of the soul from false gods — from ego, materialism, power, fear, and despair. In its purest form, worship dismantles the idols we carry within, allowing us to rise above our illusions and rediscover the Divine imprint etched into our very being.
In the stillness that follows every sincere āmīn (God! Accept our supplications), there is a subtle but profound awakening: that we were never made to worship because God lacks something. We were made to worship because we lack it, because through it, we touch what is eternal, and in doing so, become more fully human.
Next: Why Would a Merciful God Punish the Disbelievers
Dr. Nazir Ahmad Zargar is a scholar of Islamic theology and comparative religion. He serves as Assistant Professor and Coordinator in the Department of Religious Studies at the Central University of Kashmir. His writings explore the intersection of faith, reason, and contemporary life.
